Weather Balloon, Not Space Debris, Strikes United Airlines Flight 1093

A United Airlines flight suffered a serious impact from a weather balloon rather than space debris, raising safety concerns for air traffic in regions like Los Angeles and Denver.

• United Airlines Flight 1093, operating a Boeing 737 MAX, experienced a significant impact that shattered its cockpit window while en route from Salt Lake City to Los Angeles.
• The incident prompted investigations by the National Transportation Safety Board, who confirmed that the object was a weather balloon, dismissing earlier theories of space debris.
• Kai Marshland, co-founder of WindBorne Systems, identified the impact as likely caused by a WindBorne balloon, highlighting potential risks posed by such objects to commercial aircraft.